


They Both Die in the End

by Thefemalearrow



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - They Both Die at the End Fusion, Betty Cooper & Toni Topaz Friendship, Betty Cooper & Veronica Lodge Friendship, F/M, Gangs, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Last Day On Earth, Romance, Sad Ending, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Veronica Lodge & Toni Topaz Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27482440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thefemalearrow/pseuds/Thefemalearrow
Summary: Betty gets the dreaded phone call: in the next twenty fours, she will meet her untimely demise. She signs up for "Last friend," an app for Deckers, people who get the phone call that says they'll die. That's where she meets Jughead Jones.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Polly Cooper, Betty Cooper & Veronica Lodge & Toni Topaz, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, FP Jones II & Jughead Jones, Fangs Fogarty & Jughead Jones, Fangs Fogarty & Sweet Pea, Jughead Jones & Sweet Pea
Comments: 37
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU based on the Adam Silvera book of the same name. I recommend you check it out(unlike this, it doesn't get updated every day. It's complete). Now on with the chapter.

12:00 am

Betty woke up as she got a phone call. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to read who the caller ID was. Death cast. The one caller ID that always meant trouble. Betty knew exactly why they were calling.

She grabs her phone and answers it. She rubs her eyes. "Hello?" she asks.

"Hello, is this Elizabeth Cooper?" the lady on the other end asked. Her voice was deprived of any emotion. She wasn't even trying to pretend to be cheery or mournful for Betty. She has probably been doing this job for years.

"That's me," Betty murmurs.

"I've called to tell you that within the next twenty-four hours, you will meet your untimely demise," the lady explains. "We can't tell you exactly when you'll die, but we can tell you about fun ways you can spend your final day."

Betty tuned her out after that. Her eyes examined the room, examing all of her photos. There were a few photos of her and her bestfriends, Toni and Veronica, on the school's trip to New York. There was then a photo of her at her sister, Polly's, baby shower. The twins are too young. They'll never remember me. Betty thought.

Once the call ended, Betty climbs out of bed. She put on her jacket. She needs to get to her sister to tell her the news. It couldn't wait since Polly would leave for work soon. Her parents were still asleep, and Betty didn't wish to wake them. She just simply left a note that says "I got the call. - Betty"

The world turned upside down when death cast entered the picture a few years ago. People tried to figure out how they were able to predict deaths, but they never found answers. Their predictions always came true. The world adapted to this development, including movies and TV shows about this concept.

Betty put on her tennis shoes. She thought about driving, but she decides not to avoid dying in a car accident. She looks around the living room, knowing she might never come home. She then turns away, locks the door, and leaves.


	2. Chapter 2

12:01 am

Jughead slaps his hand against Rickie's face. He had gotten his boys to roughen him up, but he wanted the satisfaction of doing it himself. His nose was already pouring blood out of it. "Don't you think you've done enough?" Sweetpea asks.

"No," Jughead roars. "I want to make sure he feels pain for what he has done."

"It was an accident," Fangs adds.

"I don't care," Jughead shouts. They had been attacking the boy for the past twenty minutes. Jughead gave him another swift kick to the ribs, and his phone began to vibrate. He pulled out his phone and froze.

"Who is this?" Sweatpea asks.

"Death-cast," Jughead states. "Keep an eye on him. I'll be right back."

Jughead stepped away from the trio. Rickie was still riving in pain on the floor. Jughead picks up the phone and runs his hand through his hair. "Hello?" the lady asked. "Is this Forsythe Pendleton Jones the 3rd?"

"Yes," Jughead says.

"I've called to inform you that, in the next twenty-four hours, you will meet your untimely demise," the lady explains solemnly. "I can't tell you when exactly you're going to die, but we can tell you about fun ways you can spend your last day."

Jughead notes that she still had a sad tone in her voice. He had been with people when they got the call, and the person on the other end was usually emotionless. He figured that this lady was probably new to the job.

"I don't care about whatever festivities are going on today," Jughead snaps. "I have better ways to spend my final twenty-four hours. Just answer me this one, simple question: how do you guys do it? How do you know when someone is going to die?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," she says. "I have signed an oath of silence."

"So you know how you guys do it?" Jughead asks. "Just tell me. I was already having a bad enough day before you called. You can at least do me a solid, and answer my question. I won't tell anyone about it."

"You want to tell me about having a bad day?" the lady asks, raising her voice. "I just got off the phone with a lady who screamed at me, about how she was no longer going to be a mother because her four-year-old daughter just became a Decker. Don't tell me about having a bad day."

Deckers is what they call the people who get the call. If you can prove that you're one, people often get discounts or get free things. There are even businesses for Deckor's to have final big experiences that have been modified to be completely safe, yet giving them the same thrill.

"I'm sorry," Jughead mummers. The call then ends, and Jughead turns to face his friends and Rickie. He walks over to Rickie and grabs his collar. "Listen. I'm going to let you go. I'm a decker, and I have better ways to spend my last day. You won't go to the police, or else I'll send my gang after you. Got it?"

Rickie nods quickly, and Jughead releases his collar. Rickie ran off into the night. "So you're a Decker," Sweatpea says, causing Jughead to snap his head around. "It's going to be weird without you."

"You'll survive," Jughead shrugs. "But I won't."

"Too soon man," Fangs says.

"Might as well laugh while we can," Jughead says, with another shrug. "Let's hop on our bikes and go to the Whyte Worm. I need to have a serpent meeting."

Sweetpea and Fangs followed Jughead to their bikes. They climbed onto their motorcycles, and they drove off. They went to the Whyte Worm, the serpent's main hangout/favorite bar.

Most of the serpents were in the bar. Sweetpea and Fangs joined the crowd as Jughead walked to the stage. "Listen up," Jughead says. Everyone turns to face him. Jughead is serpent royalty. When he speaks, everyone listens. "I'm a Decker now. This means by this time tomorrow, I'll be dead."

"Don't mourn me," Jughead instructs. "When I'm gone, move on with your life. I only have one request for you guys before I die."

"Anything Jug," Sweatpea says.

"Gather up all of the serpents," Jughead says. "I want to see my own funeral."


	3. Chapter 3

12:07 am

Betty tucked her jacket closer to her as she got closer to Polly's house. It was beginning to rain. Betty climbs onto the porch and knocks on the door. Polly opens the door. She was holding the girl twin, Juniper. "Betty?" Polly asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Polly," Betty says. "I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Polly says, opening the door wider for Betty. She steps in, and they walk away from the doorway. Polly places Juniper in the play pin with Dagwood. "So, what do you need to talk about? Do you want some coffee?"

"No, thank you, but we should sit down and talk about this," Betty says. They sit on the couch. "I just got the call from death-cast. I'm a decker now, and I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Please tell me your joking," Polly pleads.

"I wish I was," Betty sighs.

"First Jason, and now you," Polly says, as she choked back a sob. The father of Polly's twins, Jason, got the call on the day Polly went into labor. He got into a car accident on the way to the hospital. Poly learned about his passing as they gave her the pain killers.

"You'll still have mom and dad," Betty reminds her.

"But they're going to try and convince me to move back in with them," Polly says. "I might crack, and you're the only reason I haven't. Have you even told them that you're a Decker yet?"

"No," Betty says. "I want to tell them last because I know they'll lock me up for the day when they learn. They'll try to beat the system, even though it's impossible. I'm planning on telling Toni and Veronic next."

"Did you leave them anything?" Polly asks. "Just in case you never make it home."

"I left them a note," Betty says.

"I think you should also call them," Polly says. "And, if you make it, grab lunch with them. Other than that, live today for yourself. You've basically lived your life for everyone else. I don't think you should die that way."

"If I do that, I would feel selfish," Betty says. "Like I should be spending my day helping someone."

"Then sign up for Last Friend," Polly suggests. "It's basically Tinder for Deckers, and you're looking for a friend instead of a date. My friend Kelsey is signed up, even though as far as I know she isn't a Decker, to help people on their final days."

"You know, that's a good idea," Betty says.

"I know," Polly shrugs. "Crud, I have to leave to drop the twins off at Blossom Manor. I have to go now if I want to not be late for work. Can you lock the door by when you leave? You don't have to leave at this moment."

"Of course," Betty says. Polly pulls her sister in for a hug. Betty wraps her arms around Polly.

"It's going to be so weird without you around," Polly says, holding in a sob. "I'm going to miss you so much. I don't think I've ever told you how much I love and appreciate you."

"I love you too," Betty whispers.

"I hope I get to see you before your time," Polly says.

"I hope to see you before then as well," Betty says. Polly slowly let's go and picks up her twins. Betty opens the door for her, and Polly mouths a thank you. She walks to her car and puts the twins inside. Polly stared at her before climbing into the car and driving off.

Betty sat on the couch after shutting the door. She pulls out her phone and opens the appstore. One of the suggestions on the suggestions for looking up things on the appstore was "apps for Deckers."

The first one to appear was Last Friend. She downloaded the app, which was free, and it finished installing quickly. Betty opened the app and made an account. She leaned back and waited for a response.


	4. Chapter 4

12:30 am

Jughead was laying on a wooden table they had cleared off. They did the best they could since they couldn't get a coffin at midnight. "Is everyone here?" Sweetpea asks. Jughead's eyes were shut, but he assumed everyone there nodded. "Who wants to start us off?"

The serpents then took turns sharing stories about Jughead. Jughead had known most of these people his entire life, especially the teen serpents. The older serpents were like his aunts and uncles. They supported him through his mom leaving, his dad's relapse, and his sister's accident. He was also there when they needed him.

As the service was coming to an end, someone barges into the bar. It was Shanda, Rickie's girlfriend. She was pulling a still-bloodied Rickie by the arm. "Which of you hooligans beat up my man," she shouts.

"Can this wait until after we're done with this?" Hogeye asks. "We're having a funeral here. Jughead became a Decker almost an hour ago and his final request was for him to be able to see his own funeral."

"No," Shanda snaps. "A matter of fact, didn't you say Jughead was one of the boys who jumped you, Rickie? With his friends Bangs and Sour Sprout."

Rickie nods, doing his best to stay awake. "You're lucky if I don't call the police on your pathetic little gang," Shanda snaps. Jughead opens her eyes, and he sees that she was wearing the colors of the Ghoulie gang. "But that's the first law of gang wars. Never get the police involved."

"Wait, that's a law?" Rickie asks, finally speaking up. They then heard police sirens get closer.

"You called the police?" Fangs shouts.

"You guys nearly beat me to death, and you thought that I wouldn't call the police?" Rickie asks. "Look, I'm not apart of this gang war. I'm just here because I love my girlfriend. I don't even know what I did to provoke the attack."

"You seriously don't remember what you did?" Jughead shouts. "I've been looking for you since last September, and you don't even remember. You don't remember what happened on September 8th, 2019?"

"You knew that Decker I ran over?" Rickie asks.

"It wasn't just some random Decker, she was my sister," Jughead shouts. "She was the only family I had left, and you took her away from me. She didn't even have time to tell me she got the call."

"Dude, I'm so sorry," Rickie says, running his hand through his hair. "It was dark out, and I barely had gotten any sleep the previous night. I've barely been able to live with myself since that day."

"Now's not the time for you to fix your relationship," Sweatpea says. "You have to get out of here before the police burst in. Hop on your bike, and drive until your at least on the northside."

"Thank you," Jughead says. He runs to the back of the bar and opens the door. He runs outside and goes to his bike. He turns it on and hops aboard. He turns on his motorcycle's lights and sped off into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

12:41 am

Betty's journey on Last Friend has been a failure. The first person was someone who wasn't a Decker. It was some idiot who was asking way too many personal questions. Once they got aggressive, Betty blocked them.

The second one was a decker. Betty assumed that they had signed up for the wrong app because they were looking for something more than friends. Betty was quick to block him. She decided if the next person was a failure, she would delete the app.

Betty knocks on Toni Topaz's front door. In her pocket, she had five hundred dollars that she had extracted from her bank account. Even though Toni tried to hide it, Betty and Veronica knew she had money problems. Five hundred dollars was enough for a month's rent on Toni's trailer. It was pouring down rain by now.

Betty expected Toni to open the door, but she didn't get the door. Instead, Veronica opens it. She was wearing an oversized Pink Floyd shirt that stopped at the edge of her thighs. She was also wearing dark purple socks. "B?" Veronica asks. "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing," Betty says. "I needed to talk to you and Toni, and this actually makes it easier. May I come in?"

"Sure," Veronica says. They entered the trailer and walked to Toni's room. Toni was sitting on the bed, her head was resting in her hands. On the TV, an episode of Grey's Anatomy was playing. "Look who's here."

Toni looks up to face her friends. "Hey Betty," Toni says.

"Hey Tones," Betty says. "What's wrong?"

Had they discovered that she's a decker before she told them? Betty thought. "I just got off the phone with Cheryl," Toni mumbles. "She's a decker, and she dumped me. She thought it would be easier for me than making me watch her die."

"I'm so sorry, Toni," Betty says.

"I don't think I can stand to lose her," Toni said. She then hugs her knees to her chest. Veronica pauses the TV, making the room almost completely silent. "I already lost my family."

"You still have me and Betty," Veronica promises. "Right, B?"

Before Betty could respond, Toni then spoke up. "Why are you here at this hour?" Toni asks. "Don't you have work in the morning?"

"I don't work on Friday's," Betty says. She then pulls the money out of her pocket. She pressed the money into Toni's chest. "I got paid yesterday. I'm not allowing you to give this back. This will cover this month's rent."

"You know I can't accept this," Toni says.

"But you have to," Betty says. Betty could no longer find it in herself to tell them why she was over. "I have to go. Goodbye."

She then left the room, not waiting for them to respond. She left the trailer and began to walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you guys have a great day, and I'll see you guys tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of alcoholism in this chapter.

1:00 am

Jughead was sitting in Pops Diner. It was one of the only places in town that offered completely free meals to deckers. Most restaurants would offer discounts or a free dessert, but a lot were too stingy with their money to offer completely free meals.

Jughead was nibbling on a ketchup-drenched fry when he got a text. It was from Hog Eye. When he read the text, he placed the fry back onto his plate. The text knotted his stomach.

Hog Eye: The police just arrested Sweet Pea and Fangs. It's looking like they're going to face aggravated assault charges, but we're sending someone to pay bail. You guys really messed up here.

Jughead: I know, but you know how blinding the need for revenge can be. I'll leave Pops, and head straight to the police station. It's unfair if they have to face this by themselves when I was the ringleader of the attack.

Hog Eye: No, Jug. You're a decker. You shouldn't spend your final day in the police station. You should spend your day how you would want to. Drive on your bike until you drop dead if that's what you desire. Or go cliff diving. Don't turn yourself in. Please, Jug. It's what JB would want.

Mentioning Jellybean was Jughead's weak spot. It was the only thing that got him to finish high school was the thought that JB would want him to. Jughead sighs softly and finishes his meal.

He walks outside, where the rainstorm had calmed down a little. Jughead hopped onto his bike and sped off. He decided where he wants to go about halfway through his meal. He went straight to Sunnyside Trailer Park.

He hadn't been there since his dad's relapse. After that, his father was taken to rehab and hasn't come back since. It's been almost been two years, but it still hurt. A family of serpents had taken him and Jellybean in.

Jughead jumps off his bike once he's in front of the trailer. He walks into the trailer, which was mostly untouched. There was still the drawing he did when he was a child, but the TV was stolen. He was sure that more things were probably missing, but he didn't bother to check.

Jughead flops onto the couch. He pulls out his phone and clicks on the Youtube app. He clicks on the first video he sees. The add-in front of it was for the Last Friend app. Jughead had heard of it before, but he never considered downloading it, until now.

He clicked on the blue 'Download now' button. The app was free, so he downloaded it without a problem. The trailer had terrible internet, so it took longer than usual to download. Jughead decided that he didn't want to spend his final day lounging around. He figured his final friend would have something more interesting in mind.

He clicked on the app and made himself a profile. He used a photo of him in his favorite beenie. It was the last thing his mother ever gave him. She had sewn it herself, and he rarely went anywhere without it.

He began to look through the options. No one caught his eye until he saw a girl with blonde hair that ended at her shoulders. He figured she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She lives in Riverdale, so they could meet up. He clicked on her profile and sent a text to Betty Cooper.


	7. Chapter 7

6:12 am

Betty had gone home and fell back asleep. It wasn't a peaceful slumber, but it was slumber none the less. Betty was grateful that she didn't die during the night, but she knew her death was coming.

She had gotten a new Last Friend message. It was from a boy named Jughead Jones. His profile picture was him, trying to look like an intellectual while wearing a crown beanie. The picture made her smile. She opens his DM.

Jughead: Hey Betty. My name is Jughead, and, like you, I'm a decker. I saw your profile, and I thought you looked interesting.

Betty: Hey Jughead. I'm glad you decided to reach out. I assume you live in Riverdale.

Jughead: That's true. Wanna meet up in real life? I'm at Sunny Side Trailer Park currently, but I'm dying to get out of the trailer. I'm now realizing that dying was probably the wrong word to use, but I'm way too lazy to fix it. Where do you wanna meet up?

Betty: Won't lie, I didn't think about how you used the word dying until you brought it up. Maybe you and I can go grab some breakfast, and meet up like that. Wanna grab some Pops?

Jughead: I had Pops last night, so I'm not crazy about having it again. But grabbing breakfast does sound like a good plan. How about the IHOP near Riverdale High? It's really good, and it's in a safe spot in town.

Betty: Sounds good. How about we meet at 6:40? I think the IHOP is open 24/7.

Jughead: It is. Sounds like a good plan :).

Betty lays her phone onto the bed, and she stands up. She gets changed into a pink sweater, high-waisted jeans, and light brown boots that stopped at her ankles. Her parents would be waking up soon, so Betty wanted to leave soon.

She put her hair into a ponytail, and she grabbed her purse. She walks out of the house, and she opts to take her car this time. There would be more cars on the road at this hour, so she wanted to obliterate her chances of getting hit by a car.

She pulls out of her driveway and drives in the direction of the IHOP. Some song from that weeks top forty was playing, but Betty didn't pay attention to the song. Betty's headlights were shining on the road, and there were puddles everywhere on the road.

Betty parks in the parking lot, and she climbs out of the car. She stood outside of the restaurant, waiting for Jughead to arrive. She still had almost five minutes before he was set to arrive, so she just scrolls through Instagram. She was looking under the tag deckers. It was full of people living their last day to the best of their ability. There was one guy who spent his final day finding a new home for his golden retriever, Rufus. Betty hops that dog found a good home.

Eventually, a motorcycle parked in front of her. Jughead hopped off of it. "Betty?" Jughead asks.

"Hey Jughead," Betty says. She didn't know if they should share a hug or something like that, so they just stood there for a moment. "So you drive a motorcycle. That seems like a dangerous way to get around on your final day."

"Well, I'm slate for death anyway," Jughead says. "Might as well get still get around on my favorite mode of transportation. Maybe I can take you on a ride before your clock ends."

"No way," Betty says. "I'm trying to die peacefully, and there are so many ways I can avoid that on that death machine."

"Fine," Jughead says. "Wanna go inside?"

"Sure," Betty says. They then enter the restaurant.  
\---  
Veronica Lodge nor Toni Topaz got the call from death cast today because neither of them was going to die. They were sitting on Toni's bed, in the middle of a Gray's Anatomy binge watch. "Something was up with Betty," Toni says.

"Yeah," Veronica says. "She doesn't usually just show up at a house in the middle of midnight."

"And she just randomly handed over five hundred dollars without an explanation," Toni says. "She never does that."

"You're right, something is up," Toni says. They sat there and thought for a few moments. Toni had an epitome. She had been thinking about it for the past six hours, and she thought of it. "Oh my gosh. Betty is a decker."


	8. Chapter 8

6:32 am

"So, where were you when you found out?" Jughead asks before taking a sip of his black coffee. "When you found out that you're a decker, I mean. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"I don't mind answering," Betty says. "I was asleep when I got the call. It was right at twelve in the morning. As the lady told me about events that were happening around town today, I looked around the room and reminisced about the life I will no longer have."

"That's morbid," Jughead says.

"I know, but I'm dying today, so I get an excuse," Betty says. "But I don't want to focus too much on the depressing things so let's move on. Where were you when you got the call?"

"I'd rather not talk about where I was," Jughead says. "But, after I got the call, I got the people I consider family together and we had a funeral, but it was cut short. So, I don't really have anything else I want to do today. What about you? Do you have any friends or family you'd like to say goodbye to?"

"I left my parents a note, and I already told my sister in person," Betty says. "I tried telling my friends, but I chickened out at the last moment. I hope I get a chance to tell them before I go."

"But that's just one thing," Jughead says. "What else can we do?"

Betty thought about it for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Last Wish foundation?" Betty asks.

"No," Jughead says.

"They're basically Make-A-Wish for deckers," Betty explains. "They offer safe, last thrills for deckers. They have things like swimming with sharks and riding in a racecar. Those are just the things they show in the commercials."

"Is there a center in town?" Jughead asks.

"Yeah, it's across the street from Town Hall," Betty says. "But it doesn't open until ten."

"So we still have four hours to kill," Jughead says. He then bit the left side of his mouth while he thought. "I would actually like to visit my sister's grave, one last time. She's buried in Riverdale Cemetery."

"Then let's finish our pancakes and go," Betty says. So they finish up their meals, and they split the bill. They walked outside of the restaurant. "You can ride your death machine, but I'm taking my car."

"Come on," Jughead pleads. "When is the next time you're going to be able to ride a motorcycle? After today, you won't be able to because you'll be stuck in a wooden box, six feet under the ground. Besides, you were just talking about going to a place that offers last thrills."

"Safe last thrills," Betty says. "The keyword is safe."

"Fine, I'll meet you at the cemetery, scardy-cat," Jughead says. There was then a bright light on her. "Betty, look out!"

Betty turns around, noticing a blue truck was speeding in her direction.


	9. Chapter 9

6:46 am

This is it. Betty thought. She didn't even try to move out of the way of the truck. What was the point? It was just going to delay her inevitable death. Before the truck could make an impact, Jughead shoved both of them out of the way.

They fell onto the grass behind them. It was still wet because of the rainstorm that had happened during the night. The driver climbs out of the car and quickly began to check on the teens. It was obvious that she was intoxicated. "We're fine," Jughead says.

"I'm so sorry," the lady repeats.

"It's fine, just go inside and enjoy your meal and forget this happened," Jughead instructs. The lady was going to interject again, but she then saw Jughead's serpent jacket. Not wanting any more trouble, she rushes inside. Jughead helps Betty to her feet.

"You should have just let the car hit me," Betty says. "We're just ticking time bombs. Death is coming for us sometime today, why should we delay its arrival?"

"Because it's only six in the morning," Jughead says. "I don't want you dying on me already. We still have so much life to live in the rest of the time we have left, and we've already wasted six hours."

"Didn't you say you wanted to go see your sister's grave one last time?" Betty asks.

"Yeah," Jughead says. "Should we go ahead and do that?"

"Sure," Betty says. Jughead hops onto his bike and Betty went to her car. She turned it on and followed Jughead to the cemetery. Jughead was going a bit faster than her, but Betty kept up pretty well.

They parked beside the graveyard. Betty climbs out of her car, and Jughead jumped off his motorcycle. "I can see the grave from here," Jughead says. "Do you mind if I go in by myself first? I'll tell you when I'm ready to be joined."

"Of course," Betty says. Jughead then walks into the cemetery by himself. He arrives at his sister's grave in less than a minute. There was a hole in the ground beside it that was big enough to fit a coffin. His coffin. They were already planning for his death.

Jughead began to wonder who called the graveyard to start preparing for him. He quickly decided it was probably Hog Eye or Jack and Karen, the couple who took him and Jellybean in. His eyes then landed on the grave that he came here to see.

He sat criss-cross in front of the grave. "Hey JB," Jughead says. "It's been a while, but I've been busy. I see someone has come to replace your flowers, which was nice. I'm a decker now, so you won't be alone at whatever happens after someone dies."

"Why did you never tell me you were a decker?" Jughead asks. "I know I was probably asleep when you got the call, but you could have wakened me up. I could have saved you for a little longer. I finally did catch the driver, and I bruised up his face pretty bad. But now the police are looking for me."

He then leaned over and hugs the grave. He let out a sob as he held the cold stone. He slowly let go and looks back over at the empty hole. He walked over to it, and he stepped inside. He sat down, and sent Betty a text, asking her to join him.

After a few moments, Jughead heard a familiar voice. "Jughead?" Betty calls.

"I'm down in here," Jughead calls back. Betty eventually finds the hole. She looks down at him in confusion. Jughead pats the dirt beside him, signifying for him to join him. Betty reluctantly joined him, sitting beside him.

"It's creepy how they're already digging a hole for your coffin," Betty whispers.

"Yeah," Jughead says. "I couldn't wait until I was dead to enter the hole."

Betty's phone vibrates. "Crap," Betty whispers. "I just got a text from my best friend, Toni."

"What is it?" Jughead asked. Betty shows him her phone.

Toni: Why haven't you picked up the phone. Me and Veronica are worried sick! We had a suspension, but we just checked and confirmed it. We know that you're a decker.


	10. Chapter 10

6:55 am

"How did they know?" Betty asks, still studying the phone. "I tried my best to make sure they didn't know that I was. But now they know that I'm going to die sometime today."

"They would have figured it out eventually," Jughead reminds her. "They're going to find out anyway, it's better this way than them finding out by reading your obituary. They also probably found out by looking at the Death cast website. They have a list of everyone dying on that day in your area."

"I should probably meet up with them somewhere," Betty says. "Do you mind?"

"Seeing how I got you to sit in a coffin hole with me, I kinda owe you to do whatever you want next," Jughead says. They then climbed out of the hole and walked to the parking lot. Betty texts with Toni for a few minutes. "We've agreed to meet at the Around-the-World Center. Do you know the way there?"

Jughead nods his head. He passed the Around-the-World Center almost every day. It was a museum of sorts for deckers. They offer interactive simulations for deckers so they can know what it feels like to travel the world. It had glowing reviews online, and Betty was surprised that Riverdale had one.

Betty climbs into the car, and Jughead gets onto his motorcycle. They both pull out of the parking lot and start driving back into town. Some local radio station was playing in Betty's car. It was beginning to rain again. Betty started to drive more carefully, wishing to avoid dying in a car accident.

Once Betty was parked, she saw Veronica and Toni. Toni's arms were crossed at her chest, and Veronica looked very worried. Betty climbs out of her vehicle, and Jughead climbs off his bike. Betty began to walk to them. "Hey guys," Betty says.

Toni slapped Betty, causing Betty's face to turn. Betty felt Toni was somewhat justified in her outburst of anger. "That's for scaring us, and not telling us that you're a decker," Toni shouts. She then pulls Betty in for a hug, her anger being replaced with relief.

"I'm sorry," Betty says, returning the hugging gesture. "You just seemed to be so distressed with Cheryl becoming a decker, and breaking up with you. I didn't want to cause you any more pain."

"It's okay I guess," Toni mumbles, finally letting go. They then walk to the ticket booth. Since Betty and Jughead were deckers, they were given bright yellow wrist bands. This way, the employees inside knew they were supposed to be able to do everything inside free of charge. Toni and Veronica had to pay ten dollars each for entry.

The opening room was large, with marvel tile and replicas of some of the most famous paintings in the world. There were also elevated areas with bushes planted on them and had benches in front of them.

They were about to enter the area where most of the activity was when Jughead saw him. He saw a man who looked like he was in his mid-forties. He was working a snack stand. Jughead walks over to the stand, the girls following him with confusion.

The stand didn't have a line, so Jughead walked right up. The man working at the stand looked at him with confusion. "Jughead?" the man asks.

"Hey, dad," Jughead greets coldly.


	11. Chapter 11

7:08 am

FP Jones didn't get the call from Death-Cast because he wasn't dying that day. Sadly, based on the band his son was wearing, he would lose his son that day. Jughead was glaring at him. "How long have you been out of rehab?" Jughead growls.

"Jughead, son," FP says.

"Don't dodge the question," Jughead says, finally making eye contact with his father. "You lost the right to call me son two years ago. When you walked out on me and JB. Now, I'll reiterate the question. How long have you been out of rehab?"

"About three months," FP says. "I've been waiting for the right moment to visit you and JB, but I wanted to wait until I was completely stable. I'm sorry that I missed your graduation, but-"

"You don't even know, do you?" Jughead accuses, tears filling up his eyes.

"No," FP says. "What are you talking about?"

"JB is dead," Jughead said, coldly. "She got the call from Death-Cast last September. She never told me that she was a decker because she never got a chance. You weren't there, so I had to go through losing another family member. And you've been out of rehab for the past three months, and you never even called?"

It was now FP's turn to have tears build up in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I've been a terrible dad," FP says. "But I'm here now. I've been looking at apartments on the Northside, and I'm getting close to being able to afford one. You can move in with me, and we can start over. We can be a family again."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Jughead asks, showing him the bright yellow wrist band. His cheeks were now soaked from the tears. "I can't wait for my death hour because it means I no longer have to live in a world with you."

Jughead storms off towards the bathroom hallway. Betty followed him. "Jughead, wait," she calls. Jughead snaps his head around. Betty hugs him, and Jughead lets go. He began sobbing uncontrollably. He couldn't believe he was sobbing in the arms of a stranger.

"I don't hear from him for two years," Jughead shouts. "I've been going through a dark time in my life, and he wasn't there. Now he's talking about us being a family again. How can we possibly be a family again? How are we going to pick up the broken pieces?"

"Let it all out, Jughead," Betty whispers, rubbing his back. She buried her face in his shoulder, and Jughead rested his head on her left shoulder. He continues to sob. Betty didn't mind how he was soaking her shirt.

After a long twenty minutes, Jughead finally pulls away. "Are you feeling better?" Betty asks. Jugheads nods, and they go to find Toni and Veronica. They found them admiring a replica of the Mona Lisa. They turned and saw that Betty and Jughead were back.

"Sorry, you guys had to see that," Jughead says.

"It's ok," Veronica says. "Are you feeling better?"

Jughead nods. "I saw that the tram is going to start back up in ten minutes," Toni says. "Do you guys want to check that out?"

The tram was said to be the best way to explore the Around-The-World Center. It was a ninety-minute tour, and it took breaks at each area so the riders could explore it. They were allowed to leave the tram so they could have a better experience.

"That sounds good," Betty says. The rest of the group agrees, and they go to the train station. Toni and Veronica buy their tickets, and Betty and Jughead showed the person at the ticket booth their wrist bands. It wasn't uncommon for non-deckers to visit the Around-The-World Center because it was cheaper than actual world traveling.

They wait for the tram to arrive. After a minute or two, it does. They climbed aboard and sat on the read seats on the tram. Betty held Jughead's hand, and she rested her knee against his. They smile at each other as the tram leaves.


	12. Chapter 12

7:16 am

Sweetpea and Fangs didn't get a call from death-cast because they weren't dying that day. They were sitting in a jail cell, waiting for someone to come and pay their bail. They hoped they would get to see their best friend, Jughead before he meets his maker.

An officer and Hog Eye entered the room. "Ok, kids, you're free to go," the officer says. "You're out on bail, but you'll have to go to a court hearing if we find enough evidence. We'll keep in contact with you two on that."

He unlocked the cell door, and the boys walked out of the cell. They left the police station. "I need you guys to find Jughead and take him to safety," Hog Eye explains. "I think the ghoulies are planning to get revenge. Neither of you guys is deckers, right?"

Sweetpea and Fangs shook their heads in unison. "Ok, then I don't have to fear that the ghoulies will kill you," Hog Eye says. "Just find him and take him anywhere but the Whyte Worm, since that's the first place they will check. Also, grab your bikes. They're still at the bar."

The boys nod and separate from Hog Eye, hoping they'll work quickly enough to extend Jughead's life.  
\---  
The first stop on the tram tour was the Bahamas. They were taken to a nice beach that had a wave pool. They banded skinny dipping, but they also offered free rental swimsuits. The other half of the room was covered in sand. There was a small, non-sandy, or wet area for the tram.

Once they were changed into the swimsuits, they jumped into the pool. They splashed around for a few minutes, laughing and enjoying the company of each other. "We should play shoulder wars," Veronica suggests.

"What is shoulder wars?" Jughead asks.

"It's this four-person game that we always play," Toni says. "Two people sit on the shoulders of the other two people. They start to try to push the other party off, and whoever stays on the longest wins. The person on the bottom isn't allowed to help the people on the shoulders at all."

"I think that's a fun idea," Jughead said. Betty climbs onto Jughead's shoulders, and Toni climbs onto Veronica's. They counted down from ten, and then the war began. Toni put her hands on Betty's, and Betty returned the gesture.

Both girls put up a good fight, but, after a few minutes, Betty shoves Toni off of Veronica's shoulder. She hit the water gently and swam back to the surface within moments. "Good game," Betty says, climbing off of Jughead. The two friends shook hands.

"What should we do now?" Veronica asks.

"We could explore the rest of the area," Jughead suggests. "We still have a while before the tram leaves for the next area. I saw on the website that it goes farther than just this area."

They got out of the pool and wrapped themselves in towels. They walked away from the beach and walked through the recreation of Alice Town. All of the businesses were operational, but they assumed that they weren't perfect recreations, and they sold other things.

The intercom then turned on. The intercom was only used for announcing things, so they were confused. "My name is Malachi, and I'm a decker," a man said. "If I'm going to die, all of you're going down with me. A bomb will go off in ten minutes. See you guys in the next life."


	13. Chapter 13

7:32 am

Officer James Cruiz got the call from Death-Cast this morning. He wanted to spend the morning with his fiance at the Around-The-World Center, but fate had other plans. The place had received a bomb threat, and he was determined to stop it before it explodes.

After making sure that Moana, his fiance, and the others got out safe. He looked around the area, and he apprehended Malachi. He was taken to the police station, but there was still the problem of the bomb. Malachi was refusing to tell where the bomb was.

He examined the area. Once he got closer to the man-made ocean, he heard the sound of beeping. He grabbed some scuba gear from a stand, and he jumped into the water. He started to swim to the bottom of the thirty-foot pool. It had some nice underwater theming, but there were no currents because deckers often came here, and they didn't want to shorten their life any longer than it already has.

He found the bomb at the bottom of the pool. He saw that he only had a little less than a minute to diffuse it. He didn't have the best training when it came to this kind of stuff, so he knew what he had to do. He mouthed an 'I love you' for Moana before swimming down.

He jumped onto the bomb and waited for the blast. This is how he would want to go out. Maybe not in a bloody explosion, but saving the lives of hundreds of people. He closed his eyes as he heard the bomb go off.  
\---  
Betty, Jughead, Toni, and Veronica managed to get out of the building before the bomb went off. They wait for further instruction, but soon they started to tell everyone to go home. "Well, that was a bust," Toni sighs. "What next?"

"Me and Jug were going to go to the Last Wish place in town, but we don't think it's open yet," Betty says. "We could head back to my place, but I don't know if I'm ready to face my parents and tell them."

"Understandable," Toni says. "When they find out, they're going to lock you in your room and try to stop it. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, actually sounds like a good idea."

"But then I'd probably die by being crushed by a bookcase or something," Betty says. "You can't escape death forever. We've already escaped death today twice. Death is coming after us with a vengeance."

"True," Jughead says. "Betty here just barely avoided being hit by a car, but luckily I was there."

"If death is being so violent, maybe we can go to my place while we wait for the place to open," Veronica suggests. "We can hang out there, almost completely being able to avoid death."

"Okay," Jughead says. The rest agreed, and they started to head back. Jughead found himself reaching for Betty's hand again, and Betty took it. They took a few steps before stopping. Jughead cups her cheek and leans in, kissing her softly on the lips.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience while I work through my writer's block. I love you guys 3000, and you guys rock. Now, after the wait, here's chapter fourteen!

8:01 am

The group was hanging out at Veronica's place. They were playing Mario Kart in the living room. Betty and Jughead were sitting together on a recliner, sharing a baby blue blanket. It was quite chilly outside.

"Everything must feel so dangerous for you two," Toni says, as her Yoshi through a turtle shell at an NPC Mario. "Knowing you could die at any moment. Grabbing a bag of chips can kill you."

"I'm sure that they don't appreciate being constantly reminded of that, T," Veronica scolds. Just then, Sweetpea and Fangs busted into the house. Veronica let out a short scream. "Serpents!"

"These are my friends, we can trust them," Jughead says. He walked over to them. "How did you find me? I usually don't hang out in upscale apartments on the northside. Well, as upscale as you can get. We're still in Riverdale."

"You forgot to turn off the location on your phone," Fangs says. "We've come to take you to safety. Penny and the ghoulies found out what you did to Ricky, and they're going to kill you."

"Where did you find this kid?" Veronica questions.

"Last Friend," Betty answers. "Jughead, you never mentioned that you're in a gang. What did you do to this Ricky kid, who apparently has connections to the Ghoulies? What were you doing before you came here?"

"I'll explain it on the way there," Jughead says. Betty wanted to protest, but she could read the franticness on Jughead's face. She just followed him out the door, and to their bikes. She had no choice now. She'd have to face her fears, and ride a motorcycle.  
\---  
They arrive at a cabin in the outer parts of town after about ten minutes. Betty was holding onto Jughead with all her might the entire time. Once they were parked, Jughead led Betty to a bedroom upstairs.

"I had a sister, but she got the call a few months ago," Jughead says. "She died when she was hit by a car. Ricky was driving the car. I looked for him for months, and I finally found him last night. Me, Fangs, and Sweetpea beat him up."

"Is Sweetpea and Fangs the boys who brought us here?" Betty asks.

"They are," Jughead says. "Fangs is the shorter one, and Sweetpea is the taller one. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I was in a gang, but I didn't think you would meet up with me if I did."

"Why was it so important to you that I met up with you?" Betty asks.

"I don't know," Jughead says. "Something intrigued me about your profile. I didn't even consider that you might be a cat fash, which you're obviously not, or a serial killer like the Last Friend killer."

Three years ago, a guy named Oden Halliday made a profile on Last Friend. He used it to lure deckers to his place, where he murdered them with an ax. He was eventually arrested after he killed seven people. His lawyers used the defense that he only killed people already slated for death, but he still got the death sentence. It took Last Friend a long time to recover from that.

"I'm glad you decided to DM me," Betty says. "I've enjoyed the past few hours."

"Me too," Jughead says. He let out a loud, long yawn. "I didn't get a moment of sleep last night. Do you mind if we take a nap? If you don't have to, but I'd feel better if you don't leave the cabin."

"I think I'll take a nap with you," Betty says. They strip to their underwear before climbing into the bed. Jughead pulled the covers over them. Jughead wrapped his arms over Betty's back, and she rests her head on his chest. "What if we beat Death-Cast? What if we live past twelve?"

"If we live past midnight, I promise that I'll marry you," Jughead says. "Of course not straight afterward. We'll have a courtship, and I'll propose to you properly. That is if you want."

"I would like that," Betty says. They shared a quick kiss before slowly falling asleep in each other's arms.


	15. Chapter 15

12:00 pm

Jughead woke up, Betty still asleep in his arms. He left a kiss on her head and laid her gently back onto the bed. He was feeling hungry, so he decides that he'll make everyone grilled cheese sandwiches.

Jughead quietly left the room. He walked to the kitchen and got out the ingredients he needed. He prepared the stove, but his fingers slipped. He made the stove too hot, and it exploded into flames.  
\---  
Betty woke up to the smell of smoke. "Fire," she shouts. She runs out of the room and saw that the living room was filled with flames. There was a badly burnt body lying face down on the floor.

"Jug," Betty shrieks. She runs to his side and rolls him onto his back. She pressed on his chest. "Jughead, please stay with me. Please don't die on me now. We still have so much of the day to live together."

Two hands land on Betty's shoulder. "Betty, we have to get out of here," Veronica says.

"Jug," Betty sobs as Veronica drags her out of the cabin. Toni, Fangs and Sweetpea were standing out. "Jughead is still inside! He needs an ambulance now! It can't be his time already!"

"Betty, we already checked," Sweetpea says. "He's gone."

"No, it can't be true," Betty cries. An ambulance and the fire department arrived. The firemen started to try and put out the fire. "Someone is still inside! Please, he's in the kitchen. He didn't get the call today! He's not supposed to die today!"

"Betty," Toni says, but Betty runs into the burning building. Sweetpea tried to stop her, but Betty was too fast. She saw that two firemen had already gotten to Jughead. She notices that one of them had a body bag. No.

"Please save him," Betty pleads.

"We're sorry, but there is nothing we can do," one of the firemen says. Betty let out a sob as Jughead was zipped into the bag. She inhaled too much smoke, and she began to cough violently. She collapses onto her back.

"Jug," Betty whispers as an air mask was placed onto her face. Soon, her world was just darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter! The story is going to be coming to an end soon. It will probably end after the next chapter, but I might think of more to add to the story. Goodbye for now!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapters folks. I don't know what am going to do next, but I'd like to thank you guys for coming on this journey. I can't see this story having a sequel, but I might revisit this concept with another fandom one day. Now, let's get on with the chapter. One last time(Alexa, play 'One Last Time' from "Hamilton").

9:10 pm

Betty spent the next nine hours laying in a hospital bed in the room. Her parents joined her. They berated her at first for leaving and not telling them she was a decker in person, but they were, in the end, relieved. Polly joined them with the twins a few hours after the arrival.

"You only have to live for the next three hours, baby," Alice told her youngest daughter. "Then you'll be free. You can be the exception. If you live past twelve tonight, you will have proven Death-Cast is a bunch of lies."

"Death-Cast has never been wrong before," Betty said. "Why should I fear death? Jughead didn't fear death, so why should I? I know that I'm going to die at eighteen. This is the one part of my life you can't control."

"Elizabeth, don't talk to your mother like that," Hal scolded. "She just wants you to stay around for as long as possible. She knows that she'll never get to see you graduate college, get married, have children, or any other big events in your life. You were supposed to die after us."

"Now, you'll be dead years before all of us," Polly said sadly. "Like Jason."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Betty knew she had to get out of that hospital. She ripped the IV out of her arm and stood up. Hal was about to protest, but before he could grab her arm, she was already out the door. The doctors couldn't keep her because deckers were allowed to refuse medical care.

She exited the hospital. She remembered the park that she and Polly went to as children, and she started to walk in that direction. Betty put her hands into her pockets, minding her own business.

Betty didn't bother to look both ways. She stepped into the road and began walking, not noticing the semi-truck that was meters away from her. Before she could react, her world was dark.


End file.
